Just a Little Candlelight
by HappyLiar
Summary: After an experiment gone wrong, Regina, Henry, Emma and Killian are sent to another Universe - one that is an alternate reality to their own. During their stay, they discover what might've happened if Regina never cast the Dark Curse. Emma, Killian and Henry are focused on returning to Storybrook, but there's only one thing on Regina's mind. The girl in blue.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter One**

_Ow. _

The frigid ground beneath her palms sent an uncomfortable biting feeling sizzling up her arms. In a simple movement, Regina had flipped her sullied, stygian hair into its original position (or as close to as she could) and was resting awkwardly on her knees. Wherever she was had no windows. Just one candlelight, shimmering dimly from the corner of the room.

As her eyes adjusted, she could make out three other silhouettes, all slumped against the wall – asleep. She shuffled over to the candle, picking it up, the brass smooth against her skin, before hobbling over to the nearest silhouette. The person, a dirty blonde-haired girl from root to tip, was staring back at her the moment the light hit her hazel eyes. _Emma_.

"Swan," Regina huffed, straightening up and curling an unruly piece of hair behind her ear, _how come she's less ruffled up?_

"Hey Regina," Emma replied just as enthusiastically, brushing the dust from her sorrel leather jacket.

Regina tilted the candle in her hand, holding it outwards towards Emma who retrieved it hesitatingly. Emma was probably the best – or rather, _better_ \- choice for waking up the other two men (she had guessed from their masculine silhouettes). No one wants to wake up with the Evil Queen towering over them, even if she had changed. So instead, Regina turned her back on the three, her eyes squinting as they adjusted to the darkness.

From what she could make out, they were in some sort of room. Duh. That was the easy bit – now it was time to find the way out. Afterall, every room has a door. Or a window. Or an accessible hole of some sort. She stumbled forward, arms outstretched, attempting to find anything resembling a doorknob or handle. Anything that screamed: "Hey, I'm a door," really.

Of course, a door could be anything. From a wooden panel to a sliding bookcase – Regina had seen the lot, naturally. She'd even seen iron bars. Yes, they had been the most common doors she had slammed when she was the Evil Queen. However, it had never struck her once that she may be the one _behind_ the bars, rather than the one in front.

"Do you want the good news or bad news, Swan?"

"Both."

"Well, the good news is that I've found us a way out," Regina started, tapping the bars subconsciously with her nails.

"…And the bad news?"

"The door I've found isn't a door. Well it is… but iron…"

"So, this is basically a prison cell?"

"'_Basically'_ yes."

Emma walked briskly over, candlelight swaying dangerously close to her hair. The blonde stopped a few feet away from Regina, her hazel eyes drifting from the older woman to the iron bars and then back to the older woman.

"I have good and bad news too," she began slowly. Regina raised an eyebrow.

"The good news is that Killian is here."

"And how is that good news?"

Emma sighed, ignoring Regina's snarky comment, "The bad news is that Henry is here too…"

Regina's face fell. It was enough that Emma and Killian were here – now Henry too? Though she may not show it, she cared for Emma despite her being a constant thorn in her side. Killian… not so much. But Henry… Henry was _her_ son. Henry was _Emma's_ son. And although he may not mean it - he would _never_ mean it - his presence would cause an argument sooner or later. Regina sighed. That was the last thing they needed.

A quiet, metal _clang _behind them made Regina turn quickly. Their captor, perhaps? She drew a quick breath of air, taking the candle from Emma's hand and holding it out in front of her. Whoever was there had shrunk further away from the door the moment they had been detected. Regina pursed her lips, striding over confidently with the other three on her heels – stumbling in the darkness. The candle revealed the iron bars as they drew closer. Regina thrust her hand forward some more, trying to catch a glimpse of the person who was trying to evade them.

The candlelight almost instantly caught hold of the features of a young girl, mid to late teens at the most. She was slumped against the wall, eyes widened, her breaths ragged and raspy. Lengthy, blue hair tumbled at her shoulders and partially hid some of her face. Her hands trembled at her chest as she subconsciously fiddled with the necklace around her neck. Regina found herself studying the girl's face with much curiosity. This girl, this _stranger_, seemed to remind Regina of someone of her past. The face was just so familiar. _Too _familiar.

"Who are you?"

"How'd you get out?" Regina's question was immediately shot down. The girl in blue rose from her pathetic posture.

"What do you mean?"

"The Isle. How?"

"I'm not sure I understand. What's your name?" Regina reached her hand through the bars and, as she did so, the girl flinched backwards.

"A-Answer my question. How'd you get out? Did you rip out someone's heart? Is there a crack in the barrier? How?" The girl had retreated a few steps up the spiralling staircase.

"No," Regina retorted, frustrated, "Answer _my_ question. Who are you?"

The girl in blue ran a fair skinned hand through her hair, closing her eyes as her palm hit her nose gently. She fixed Regina with a bitter glare, who the latter returned calmly. Emma watched them uncomfortably, debating on whether she should interrupt. Yet it was Killian who spoke first.

"Regina, we're getting nowhere with this-"

"Regina?" the girl in blue narrowed her eyes.

"_Yes_," Regina kept her eyes on the girl, "That's my name…"

The two stared at each other for what seemed like hours until the blue-haired girl finally dropped her gaze. She began to numbly tap at the floor with her foot, eyes darting here and there, as if she were having her own inner debate. She looked back towards Emma, then to Henry, then to Killian and then, with much hesitation, finally back to Regina. During that time, she had slowly wandered directly towards the iron bars, where she stopped just a few inches away from them. Regina held her breath as the girl leant forward, one hand grasping a bar, and the other hanging limply to her side.

"You're not my mom…"


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two**_

"…What?"

"You're not my mom," the girl in blue repeated slowly, as if she, herself, was trying to wrap this news around her head, "It's just… you look like her…"

Their eyes locked again; Regina noticed how the girl's face seemed to soften slightly. Her eyes, however, remained clouded. Unreadable. Conflicted. The corners of Regina's mouth twitched and, for the first time in a long time, she could feel her heart pound nervously against her chest. This girl certainly wasn't dangerous, but there was something about her that made Regina feel uncomfortable. Perhaps it was the fact that only a minute ago, the girl thought that she was her mother. The girl drew a quick, sharp breath.

"Evie," she murmured, looking away, "My name is Evie…"

"Let me guess," Killian started, "Us being here has something to do with Regina?"

"And you," she nodded to him, "You look like Captain Hook. Mo- Regina, I mean, looks like my mother."

"Let me guess, your mother is the Evil Queen?" Emma replied, arms crossed.

"Yup."

Regina glanced upwards, her brows creased and face tense. Emma eyed her knowingly. If this Evie girl was telling the truth, then that would mean that Regina may be her mother afterall. She bit her lip, glancing over at Henry, who seemed to be at a loss for words.

"No," he mumbled, "That can't be right."

"What can't?" Evie asked, her brow knit with confusion, "I don't understand."

"Mom," he turned to Regina, "You told me that you couldn't have kids, that you drank something that made you infertile. That's why you adopted me – you couldn't have kids of your own."

"Well somehow," Regina turned to look at Evie, "Somehow, I did…"

The stairs ahead were twisted into a chaotic spiral. Each step was a different height from the last, making it almost impossible to judge how high one had to lift their foot, especially in the dark. Somehow, Emma had persuaded Evie to let them out, although she could tell that the girl wasn't exactly happy with her decision.

"So, what you're saying is," Evie began, having listened to their story, "You think you might've been sent here by accident?"

"Yes, but the only problem is that we have no idea how we got to… where are we?"

"The Kingdom of Auradon," Evie said plainly.

"Ever heard of Storybrook?" Emma asked.

"No…"

"Thought so."

The silence that followed afterwards, as well as Evie's abrupt slowness, indicated to Regina that they were nearing the exit. Evie put a finger to her lips, exaggerated by the candlelight that flickered in and out of existence from her palm. They reached an old door where the scent of paint lingered in the air. Evie turned the doorknob slowly, her face cringing at any slight noises it made.

"Are you sure no one will catch us?" Henry asked suddenly.

"Hopefully not," Evie smiled at him, but her voice wobbled suspiciously.

As soon as the door had been opened, Evie blew out the candle in her hands and left it on the floor. She gestured at them to follow her, but as soon as they stepped into the corridor, all four of the Storybrook folks raised a hand to the radiant sun beams, temporarily blinded by this new light. Evie seemed unaffected by it and had already begun walking towards another door further down the corridor. Regina's feet silently pounded the carpet as she caught Evie by the shoulder and held her still. The girl looked confused and slightly terrified.

"Your fear is deafening you," Regina explained, herding her back, "There are people on the other side of that door, but you couldn't hear them."

"Listen kid, if this is all too much, we can go on our own," Emma piped up quietly, but Killian shook his head rapidly.

"No. If Evie believed that Regina was the Evil Queen from this Kingdom, then I'm pretty sure a lot of other people do too. Besides, keeping her with us opens up an emergency option."

Emma looked at him, shocked, "You're not seriously suggesting that?"

Killian shrugged, "It's just nice to know that if worst comes to worst, we have a way of getting out unscathed. I'm sure Regina agrees with me."

Regina, however, was not listening to any of them. Her hand was still clamped on Evie's shoulder, and she found herself staring into the girl's deep brown eyes. In the cell, where there had been nothing but candlelight, Evie's eyes had looked dark and natural but, up in the sunlight, they were a rich hickory. They reminded Regina of the hot chocolate she and Henry would drink whilst snuggled up together on cold winter nights.

But on the other side of that, Regina couldn't help but notice emotions that completely contrasted with the warm nature of her swirling orbs. Where one expected happiness, there was sadness. Where there was meant to be confidence, lay distress. And love… love was replaced by loneliness.

"What on Earth is going on here?" all five of them jumped, turning to face whoever had spoken.

A woman with jet-black hair was standing in the doorway of where they were meant to be heading. Evie flinched as the woman's gaze landed on her – Regina couldn't help but notice the disappointment in the older woman's eyes. Killian had made a direct line towards Evie, but Emma had held him back, her arm wrapped around his.

"I'm sorry Fairy Godmother!" Evie burst out, "I overheard you talking to King Adam a-and I wanted to see my mother a-and find out how she got off the Island. But this isn't her, a-and that isn't Captain Hook. Well it is, but… but…"

The Fairy Godmother, presumably, had put her hand up, instantly cutting off Evie's explanation.

"I know, Evie."

"You… You what?"

"I think you'd better head into my office," she turned her gaze on the Storybrook folk, "All of you."


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

_**Quick Note – I'll probably be posting every other day starting from the upcoming Monday since I have no time to write over the weekend. I'll try to squeeze in two chapters, but it all depends on how busy I am. 26/09/19**_

* * *

The emptiness was always there; a dark void that consumed everything. As hollow as the makeshift doll that Carlos had given to her when they lived on the Isle. Evie had grown accustomed to hiding it from everyone and everything, because back on the Isle any sign of weakness could get you killed. No exaggeration there. Children could be malicious, but their parents were even worse.

From the moment she realised that Regina was not, in fact, her mother, Evie had felt relief. The mere mention of her mother made the hairs on the back of her neck stand on edge. The Evil Queen may have been the "Fairest of them all", but on the inside, she was vile and repulsive. That was the harrowing truth of her childhood.

It wasn't all spoils. Not at all. Evie was just as miserable as, if not more, the other VKs, constantly forced to wear all kinds of makeup to the point where she looked unrecognisable. Smiling was strictly forbidden – it caused wrinkles or creases or whatever her mother had said. For the first sixteen years of her life, she had been taught to be vain and narcissistic. She certainly acted that way the first time she entered Auradon, but that attitude had soon passed. Many had accepted the VKs, some were yet to, but none of the AKs had a clue about her insecurities.

"Evie? Is everything OK?" Carlos popped up beside her, making her jump.

"Hm? Yes. Yeah, everything's alright."

"You sure? I just saw you walking out of the Fairy Godmother's office…"

Evie shrugged innocently, "She needed to talk to me about something unimportant, that's all."

Evie and Carlos had been friends for most of their lives. They met the day Mal trapped Evie within Cruella De Vil's fur closet, which was ironically filled with bear traps and one small, snow-haired boy. He'd managed to save her unscathed, that first encounter becoming the key to their relationship. She could empathise with him a lot, understanding how it felt to have a mother who couldn't care less about them. Cruella De Vil loved her car and furs more than Carlos and Queen Grimhilde… well… she only had a daughter so she could carry on the royal bloodline. If Evie did anything wrong, such as incorrectly apply just a tiny bit of lip-gloss, then she'd have to go without supper and sleep in their castle's tallest tower. No bed. No warmth. Nothing. It was harsh, but that was what life was like on the Isle.

"We've got a free hour," Carlos explained, "What do you want to do?"

Evie plopped herself down on the recently cropped grass, propping her bag up against her leg as she picked out a dark blue, golden rimmed book, "I think I want to be alone right now."

"OK," Carlos sat down opposite her, absent-mindedly plucking individual strands of grass from the ground.

Evie gazed at him contently. He knew what she really wanted, being alone was not it. He gazed back, a small grin playing on his lips, before turning over to rest on his stomach so that his back was to her. Some people could never escape their childhoods, Carlos was one of them. Sometimes, his pain was predictable, but to Evie, it was the "Randoms" that were the worst. You know, the stuff that will come but you just don't know when.

His worst attack probably occurred a few months after they had arrived on Auradon, following the defeat of Maleficent. Evie had been furnishing _Evie's 4 Hearts _when he had walked subconsciously into the room.

"_Hey Carlos, can I help you?" She turned to face him, wiping invisible dust from her dress, "Is everything OK?"_

_He hadn't answered, and when he wasn't talking, Evie knew that there was a problem. He seemed to be searching for something primarily in her shop. His eyes were wide, his pupils dilated, hands quivering at his sides and his hair ruffled chaotically. _

"_Evie?" he called out, "Evie?"_

"_Hey, hey," she shushed him, settling a stack of books on the counter and rushing over to him, "I'm here. It's okay."_

_She caught him in her arms, his head landing on the crook of her neck. He sobbed relentlessly, his hands clinging to the back of her dress, refusing to let go. She held him peacefully, eyes closed, shushing him like a mother would do to a child. _

"_What's up?" she asked when she believed that the sobbing had begun to cease, "You can tell me…"_

"_I thought you were dead…"_

"_Why on Auradon did you think that?"_

"_Because Maleficent won!" he hiccupped, sniffling into his sleeve, "We lost…"_

"_Carlos, look around. We didn't lose, we won! We're okay…" she murmured, cupping his cheeks with her hands, "I'm okay."_

"Evie?" she looked up at the calling of her name.

"Emma? I thought the Fairy Godmother said-"

"Yeah well, she asked me to come out here and get you."

Evie nodded slowly, "Yes. Yeah, okay. I'm coming, hold on," she planted a kiss on Carlos' forehead, who looked utterly confused, "I'll be back later, okay?"

"'Kay…"

* * *

"You're what!" Evie had flushed a deep red, and had risen abruptly, the speed at which she did so pushing her chair across the wooden floor.

"Evie…" the Fairy Godmother began, but the blue-haired girl cut her off.

"This is a terrible idea! It'll rock the foundations of Auradon prep, again!" she set her hands down onto the desk with a loud _thump_, "We've only just gotten over the Cotillion Incident!"

"The _what_ incident?"

"It doesn't matter," the Fairy Godmother shook her head, "Evie, you must understand that we can't just hide these people. Someone'll find out one day, and I'll tell you, the reaction will be a lot worse."

Evie sat down on her chair, arms crossed, her chin resting on her chest. Regina glanced her way, watching the anger in her eyes twist and contort to show the frightened child within. Her face was the hue of a ripe tomato, in contrast to her bright blue waves.

"This'll never work," she spat softly after a few moments of silence, "They'll panic when they see Regina and Hook – think the Isle's Villains are 'at it again'."

"Well, you believed that Regina was not your mother…"

"So?"

"So, make them believe it too."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Chapter 4**_

* * *

"So, Evie. What did you need to talk to us about?"

Evie drew a sharp breath, running her hand over the soft duvet unconsciously. She'd dreaded having this conversation, but the Fairy Godmother had insisted that it would come from Evie rather than herself. Fair enough. It didn't make her stomach churn any less, however.

"We have to help some people…" she began slowly.

Mal shrugged, looking over at Jay and Carlos, "Okay? We help people all the time, right? What's the problem?"

"Well… they're not exactly from around here. Their kingdom or hometown or whatever isn't in the USA (United States of Auradon, not America)," Evie continued, "They're not even from this Universe, apparently…"

"Evie, seriously. What's going on? Is it something to do with that blonde lady from earlier?"

Evie nodded a few times, biting her lip. She turned her gaze to the ceiling. Carlos would believe her, that Regina wasn't her mom. But Jay and Mal… they would be harder to persuade.

"They're from Storybrooke," she explained.

"Storybrooke?" Jay's eyebrows raised, "Never heard of it."

"Like I said, they're not exactly from around here. There's four of them: Henry, Emma, Killian and…" she paused midsentence, "…And Regina."

"Do they need help getting home or something?"

"Yes but-"

"That's all you had to say, E," Mal stood up, walking towards the door.

"M, wait. It's a lot more… complicated than that. Henry and Emma don't look like anyone from around here but… but Killian looks like Captain Hook. And… And Regina," she hiccupped, "Regina looks like mom."

* * *

Evie had told them. Regina knew it. How? Why else would there be a thunderous drum of footsteps heading straight for the Fairy Godmother's door. She swallowed – it seemed like the other VKs hadn't taken this news lightly.

The door swung open, revealing four teenagers, two of which were the shade of a perfectly ripe cherry.

"What did you do to her?" the girl with purple hair stormed over to Regina, whilst a male brunette meandered past towards Killian, "Some sort of spell, I bet."

"Mal, I really don't appreciate you coming in here in such a state!" the Fairy Godmother huffed, her hands on her hips.

"Well, we don't appreciate you letting these two anywhere near us or the rest of Auradon," Jay retorted, glaring down at Hook with vexed eyes.

"Well this has _certainly _escalated…" Hook mumbled.

"If you would both just sit down, I can explain the situation-"

"No," Mal growled, her eyes brightening into a neon green, "We need to send them back to the Isle. They look _identical _to our Evil Queen and Captain Hook because they _are_ our Evil Queen and Captain Hook!"

"Mal," Evie had walked over, pulling her friend back by the arm, "That's not my mom…"

"Evie, look at her!" Mal spat, "She is a spitting image of your mom!"

"But she's _not_," Henry stood up, "She's _not _Evie's mom!"

Mal's expression softened slightly, but her tone remained as hostile as ever, "And why should we believe that? We don't even know who you are!"

"Mal," Evie pleaded, "Please just stop and listen to me. That's not my mom!"

"How can you possibly know that Evie?"

"I can see it in her eyes!"

* * *

About half an hour later, possibly, the Fairy Godmother had managed to break the Storybrooke folk and the VKs apart. Jay and Mal were still fuming but had decided against saying anything.

"Now," the Fairy Godmother looked at both of the groups, "I believe that Evie has something to say."

Evie stepped forward towards the middle of the room. Mal outstretched her hand, attempting to follow her, but Carlos' hand on her shoulder prevented any movement. She stood in silence instead, her knuckles white and her eyes narrowed.

"I know that Regina is not my mom… or at least not the one I was brought up by. I thought she was at first, I'm not going to lie. But… But I just remember seeing this thing I never saw in my mom's eyes. Love. Love for others, anyway. She certainly loved herself, but not me."

"That doesn't exactly prove anything, though," Jay spoke up.

"It proves _everything_," she looked at her friends, "Come on guys… we've known each other for most of our lives…"

"She's right," Carlos nodded his head, "The Evil Queen we know loves only herself."

"She could be faking it. We're talking about our parents here – they are perfectly capable of doing such a thing," Mal scowled.

"Regina's not a bad person," Emma retorted, patting Henry's shoulder, "She raised my son, afterall. Did a pretty good job too."

A smile played on Regina's lips, but she swallowed it down. Now was not the time to be charmed. Now was about proving her innocence, as well as Hook's. She may have done despicable things back in Storybrooke, but she'd done nothing wrong here. Not yet, anyway…

"I'm sorry," Mal murmured, "But I keep getting this uncomfortable feeling about those two. I don't trust them…"

"M…" Evie walked over to her, taking Mal's hands in her own, "Do you trust me?"

Mal sighed, pulling a face, "…Yes. Of course I do, E."

Evie smiled sadly, "Then why aren't you trusting me now?"

"It's just…" Mal stuttered, glancing down, "I don't want a repeat of last year, with what happened with my mom and all…"

"And there won't be one, because I trust my instinct, and my instinct is telling me that Regina and Killian are not who you think they are…"

* * *

_Promise that it'll get more exciting as the story progresses. Unfortunately, this chapter was made simply to allow the VKs and Storybrooke folk to meet. But now that it's out of the way, we can get onto something a little more… interesting. Will probably update this chapter later on._


	5. Chapter 5

_**Chapter 5**_

* * *

_Behind the counter was a middle-aged man, holding up a strange, mechanical object, his hands fiddling with the tiny, beige cogs within. His hair was a dusty brown colour, lazily ruffled, with the tips intertwined into an artistic chaos. He noticed the blue haired child the moment she had skipped inside, a big grin on her face. _

"_Miss Grimhilde," he said without looking up, "To what do I owe this pleasure?"_

"_I think I've found something that you might like, Mister," Evie beamed, her tiny hands behind her back._

"_Hm…" the older man settled the object down onto the counter, walking around towards her, "You've intrigued me."_

_Evie giggled, which in turn made the older man smile. She truly was a bewitching child. He stood in front of her, squatting so that he was on her eye level. The smile hadn't left his face, but his eyes had gazed over towards her hidden hands. _

"_Well? May I see what you're hiding behind your back, Miss Grimhilde?" _

"_I stole it," she admitted, "From one of those important people. You know, from that big castle place across the sea. Aura… Aurwa… Awa…"_

"_Auradon?"_

"_Yeah, that one."_

"_Hm," the man repeated, having taken the object from Evie's small hands, "You were right. I do like this. Thank you, Miss Grimhilde."_

_The man held the jewel in his outstretched hand. It glittered attractively in the dim light – no wonder young Evie had stolen it. She would've seen it as an expensive item that could've fed her for months. The man knew that it was more than that. He smiled, throwing it up in the air and catching it again, before stuffing it into his shirt pocket._

"_I am a man of trade, Miss Grimhilde. What would you like in return?" he asked, slowly rising from his knees._

"_Can you keep your promise?"_

"_Which was?"_

"_Don't tell Mama I was down here – especially with Carlos."_

_The man imitated a zip across his mouth before throwing away an invisible key. Evie giggled once more, skipping her way back towards the door; jumping to reach the handle. The man waved to her._

"_Bye, bye, dearie," he muttered, turning his back to the door._

* * *

"Storybrooke sounds interesting," Evie said, dabbing her fork in and out of her food.

She, Emma, Killian and Carlos were sat outside, eating lunch on one of the picnic tables. They'd all heard Killian's stomach growling aggressively, so Evie suggested that they should pause the tour of Auradon Prep and sit down for a bit.

"It is, believe me," Emma agreed, taking a bite out of a bright scarlet apple, "These are delicious!"

"Thanks, I grew them myself," Evie smiled, "What's it like living there?"

"Dramatic," Emma admitted, laughing at Killian's smug face, "Ever since the curse was lifted, nothing has really been calm."

"Curse?" Carlos' eyebrows raised, "What curse?"

Emma and Killian exchanged glances. He shrugged, but Emma shook her head, mouthing the word "no".

"That's a story for later," Killian explained, "One that Regina will probably be better at explaining."

"Enough about us," Emma agreed, "What about you. What's it like living here, in Auradon?"

"Better than the Isle," Carlos muttered, "Anywhere is better than the Isle…"

"The Isle?" Emma glanced at them both, "The one that you were going on about the day we met?"

Evie nodded, biting her lip, "It's a place where villains are sent to be punished. Carlos and I lived there too."

Emma gawped, "Why on Earth would they let children live in a place like that?"

Carlos shrugged, "I guess they thought we'd turn out like our parents…"

A heavy silence settled over them as the two VKs glanced away. Evie had pushed the tray of half eaten food away from her and was looking at her hands, which were resting on her lap. Carlos was shifting on his seat, absent-mindedly tapping the tabletop. Emma scanned their faces, expecting them to react to the silence and start talking about something completely different. But that never happened. The silence still hung in the air, spewing with negativity.

"Hey, listen um," Emma began slowly, "We were kind of hoping that you would help us get back home."

"Ok, sure," Carlos glanced over at Evie, "How'd you get over here, exactly?"

"That's just the thing," Killian muttered, "We have no idea…"

* * *

"_Henry!" Regina yelled, "Turn it off!"_

_A gale had stirred from within the room. It blew up a vigorous force, sending stacks of papers spiralling into chaos. Killian and Emma clung to each other, his body protecting hers. Regina had reached over to Henry, her hands clutching his shoulders._

"_Henry!" she repeated, "We need to turn it off!"_

"_I don't know how!" he screamed back at her. _

Regina blinked a few times, shaking her head. _What was that about? _She thought, stretching from where she sat. Henry was perched beside the window, staring at nothing in general. Whatever she had just seen didn't feel familiar - she couldn't remember such an event. Was it even one of her memories? Or was it simply a dream? Regina sighed; it didn't matter anyway.

"Henry," she wandered over, squeezing his shoulder, "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," he mumbled, "I want to go home…"

"So do I, honey," she muttered.

"No you don't," he turned to face her, "You'd rather stay and get to know Evie."

"Henry, that's-"

"What? Ridiculous? No, it's not mom."

"You're _my_ _son_, Henry," Regina studied his eyes, "I love you more than anything in the world."

"But that's just it," his bottom lip trembled, "I'm your _adopted _son. Not your real one. It's only a matter of time before you end up spending so much time with Evie that you'll never want to leave…"


	6. Chapter 6

_**Chapter Six**_

_Chest Infections are a joy_

* * *

Evie peered out of the window, her eyes taking in the mellow pink and blue hue that was squeezing through thick, angry-looking clouds. Day number four. Still, she had little to no information about who their guests were; other than their names and where they came from. Not a clue did she have about how they got to Auradon, and neither, it seemed, did they.

She cupped her hands around the hot chocolate that Mal had brought up for them, sipping it warily to make sure it wasn't that stuff from the Isle. Yes, that was a prank often played between the VKs – AKs would feel too bad to do anything like that, after all. Evie smirked; the idea of an Auradon Kid playing any sort of prank amused her. Then again, she wouldn't put it past Lonnie to do something like that.

She only turned when someone knocked softly at the door, almost silently. Evie placed her cup down, walking over, her feet numb from the cold that had somehow found itself into the dorm room.

"Regina," her eyes widened slightly with confusion, "Can I help you?"

"If you don't mind," the older woman gently pushed past her, Evie closed the door, "I'm having a bit of a crisis."

"I can tell," Evie remarked, eyeing Regina's unkempt hair and insecure posture.

"It's Henry," Regina sighed, settling herself down on Evie's bed, "He's worried."

"About what?" Evie sat down beside her, her hands resting in her lap, "Is it about getting home? Because I promise you, we're doing everything we can to help you guys…"

"No. No, no it's not that," Regina shook her head, "He's worried about us."

"What do you mean?"

Regina scratched the back of her neck awkwardly, "Well, you see, I adopted Henry when he was a baby. But despite that, I love him even when it seems that I don't. Henry, however, is worried about us because there is a possibility that you're my daughter, due to my counterpart being your mother and all…"

"He's worried I'm going to take you away from him," Evie interrupted her, "That's what you're saying, isn't it?"

"I- yes. That's what I'm saying."

* * *

"_You'll never be happy," Cora stared calmly at her daughter, shaking her head, "You don't know how…"_

_Regina glared at her mother, her hand clutching the top of a glass that sat on the little table beside the fire. Cora slowly walked towards her, "But you do understand power, and you're about to lose it."_

_A small, uninviting smile played on her lips, "Your people want Snow White to be queen, and unless you start building a dynasty, she'll take back the Kingdom and you'll lose it all."_

_Regina stepped closer so that their chests almost touched, "And when I die of a mysterious illness," she sneered, "You're the power behind the child-sized throne, right?"_

_Cora swallowed, avoiding her daughter's gaze briefly._

"_Well guess what, mother?" Regina continued, raising the glass that she had been holding, "I found a way to keep that from ever happening…"_

"_What is that?" Cora asked, unnerved. _

"_A potion," Regina smiled, looking down at it, "To take away your future claim on the royal line."_

_Cora frowned, "But you're not pregnant…"_

"_And now I never will be."_

* * *

"I keep getting these… visions," Emma explained.

She had walked in on the two, voicing her own problems, much to Regina's chagrin. Evie, however, seemed happy to listen. It almost made Regina smile, but sadly. She could see why Evie wanted to help people so much – she wanted to drown out her own sorrows, to tell herself that her problems were not as bad as everyone else's.

"About what?"

"Storybrooke, but they're all set in the same place," she nodded to Regina, "Regina's office."

Regina sat forward, "Visions that seem like memories?"

"Yeah, but I have no idea if it's that or-"

"-A dream…" Regina mumbled, "I'm experiencing the exact same thing…"

"What happens in these memories?" Evie leant back, resting on her elbows, "This could help us figure out how you guys ended up here."

"Well… I remember there being a lot of wind, like there was a hurricane in the room. Something was spinning in the middle of the room, something Henry had made."

"Yes," Regina nodded, standing up, "I remember him saying that he'd had a sudden inspiration to create it."

"Great. That's a start," Evie leapt up, clapping her hands optimistically, "Fairy Godmother should hear about this."

* * *

"_Henry!" Regina yelled, "Turn it off!"_

_A gale had stirred from within the room. It blew up a vigorous force, sending stacks of papers spiralling into chaos. Killian and Emma clung to each other, his body protecting hers. Regina had reached over to Henry, her hands clutching his shoulders._

"_Henry!" she repeated, "We need to turn it off!"_

"_I don't know how!" he screamed back at her. _

_The doors on the other side of the room slammed into the wall noisily. The gale that rocked them all back onto their heels had also managed to knock the machine from its stand, creating a piercing smash as the gem Henry had used shattered its contents onto the floor. _

_Regina covered her eyes with a steady hand, feeling the air escape her lungs as a force shoved her backwards. She grunted uneasily, expecting to feel her back strike the wall or perhaps even the window behind her, but it never came. For a few seconds, she felt like she was just floating in mid-air, her eyes refusing to open. _

_She let out another grunt when her back hit something soft yet prickly. The smell of morning mist flogged her almost immediately and she considered the worst. That the damn thing had destroyed her house. She clenched her fists, sitting up, her eyes still shut. Were they in the garden? No, that's not possible – she'd replaced the grass with tiles a few months back…_

"_Who's there?" she jumped when she heard someone call out, "Put your hands behind your head."_

"_Surely that's not necessary. I can't even see-"_

_Her skin went ashen, an uncomfortable, bruisy feeling appeared within her stomach. Her eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she landed headfirst into the grass, limp and unmoving, any idea of what had just happened temporarily erased from her mind. _


End file.
